Mail-distributing apparatus.



W. BARRY. MAIL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3,1902.

Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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MAIL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1902.

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MAIL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3,1902. 9 1 9, 8 1 O, Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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MAIL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

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APPLICATION FILED JULY 3,1902. 91 9,81 0, Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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MAIL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 3,1902.

Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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MAIL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

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W. BARRY. MAIL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

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MAIL DI$TRIBUTING APPARATUS.

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attozueq o STATES PAT WILLIAM BARRY, or OSWEGO, NEW YoRK.

MAIL-DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented a ra 27, race.

Application filed July 3, 1902. Serial No. 114L817.

ratus and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of, the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the various machines or apparatus that I have heretofore produced for sorting or distributing mail matter; and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those" skilled in the art in the light of the following descriptions of the constructions drawings, merely as illustrative examples, from among many other constructions within the spirit and scope of myjnvention. My invention consists in certain novel features in construction, in combinations and in arrangements of parts, as more fully and particularly pointed out and described hereinafter.

Referring to the accom anying drawings which show examples wit 'n the spirit and scope of my inventionFigure 1, is a side" elevation of the apparatus looking at the open ends of the boxes, one key lever being shown depressed and the corresponding letter gates or deflectors opened to cause deposit of a letter in the eighth box of' the top row, the striker operating arm being shown in its normal position, the'printing mechanism being shown provided with an endless impression belt. Fig. 2, isfirside elevation looking at the closed ends of the boxes, the key levers and gates being in their normal positions, the endless impression belt not being shown, the striker arm in dotted lines shown in its 110111731 position and in full lines to one side. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus, the letter boxes being shown in cross section and the operative parts in their norfnal po-' sitions, the endless impression belt being shown.

Fig. 4, is a top plan view of the apparatus, the striker being shown to "one side of its normal position. Fi 5, is a horizontal section taken in a p an'e below the case of boxes and showing the driving gearing, portions of the belts and trip mechanism shown in the accompanying being shown. Fig. 6, is an enlarged vertical section through thefront portion of the apparatus, the trip or driving1 arm or striker eing shown moved partia y around from its normal position so that the same can be seen, the remaining operative parts however being shown in their normal ositions in full lines, the said arm or striker eing shown in normal position in dotted lines. Fig. 7, is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, through the upperfront portion of the apparatus,

certaingates being shown opened, a key lever shown depressed, and in dotted lines shown in its normal position. Fig. 8, is a detail perspective view, parts being broken away, showing the support or way for the common pile or stack of mixed mail matter, the initial feeder and printing mechanism, the bank or series of keys showing letters in said way, and a letter being shown held at the inspection point ex; posed to the view of the operator after being stamped and before being discharged into the distributing letter moving mechanism. Fig. 9, is a detail perspective view, parts being broken away, among other features partlally showing the inner plies of the Ver tical or main letter way belts and the spring pressure device cooperating-with said plies of the belts. Fig. 10, is a detail top plan view, parts being broken away, of the rint ingf mechanism, the constructions di erent in some particularsfrom those shown in figures of the drawin previously described. Fig. 10, is a partia ly diagrammatical end view of the mutilated friction gearing and stop ig. 11 is a detai fragmentary or somewhat diagrammatical view, dotted lines showing the driving ratchet wheel, certain parts being 1 shown inone position in full lines and in the opposite positions indotted lines, the initial feeder operating device being shown swung down as when operated by hand to feed the letters to the distributin belts in rapid succession. Fig. 12, is a etail detached plan view of the printing, im ression and feed rolls, of the constructions own in Fi s. 2, 4, 7, 8,.and 11, showing the mutilated riction driving gearingrbetween the impression and printing roll s afts. Fig. 13, is an endor, ace view of the friction disk on the endof the rinting roll shaft of the construction of Y 1%. I2. Fig.,.14 is a section on line 13.1 Fig.12 looking in the direction of mechanism of Fig. 10..

eing 111g levers shown in section, the key lever locking bar'being partially broken away. Fig. 16, is a detail section through the ratchet drlving wheel,-t hev operating trip or striker arm, and showing a spring brake to stop rotation of said striker when'thrown out of gear with the power. Fig. 117, is a detail edge elevation, of the ratchet wheel, and cooperating parts, showing the trip devices, striker arm and adjacentv parts, said arm being shown in its normal position and held out of gear with the ratchet wheel by the trip. Fig. 18,- is a sectional elevation, with parts removed, partially showing two boxes in longitudinal section with upwardly springing floors and an alarm or signal mechanism operated thereby. .Fi 19', is'a detail perspective view of two etached lettenboxes, provided with the yieldingfioors. Fi

cross section of the boxes shown in ig. 19.

Fig. 21, is a horizontal section of'one of the boxes provided with a yielding bottom. Fig. 22, is a sectional side elevation of the front end of the ,distributer, the partsbeing shown in their normal inactive positions, the ratchet driving wheel being indicated by dotted lines,'the conveyer belts not being shown, and other parts being omitted to more clearly show the parts "operated by and operating on a'key lever andthe feeder operating connections. Fig. 23, is in the nature of a detached perspective or a diagrammatical view of one key lever and the various elements engaging the same or cooperating therewith. Fig. 24,is a detached perspectlve View of the removable or attachable key board' shown applied in Fig. 22. Fig. 25, is a cross section of the detachable key board, shown in Fig. 24, taken in the plane of the line 2525, Fig. 26. Fig. 26, 1s an enlarged detail sectional end elevation of the detachable key board applied as in Fig. 22, showing the upper ends of the key levers and the manne pieces or levers of the key board detachably thereto. Fig. 27, is,a detail section taken vertically through therear end letter boxes of the case, showing hinged upwardly springingshelves arranged at the open ends of the boxes of each horizontal row. Fig. 28, is a vertical section taken boxes and transversely through the conveyer belts, showing pressure devices to yieldingly hold the conveyer belts down and maintain said belts against the letters thereunder with suflicient pressure to insure proper movement of the letters. Fi 29, 1s a top plan view of arow of letter oxes and the conveyer belts and pressure device shown in Fig. 28, parts being broken away.

The specific example illustrated receives coupling the finger 'down into the printing mechanism which im- .'20,isa

by adhering to the first letter.

through several letter ranged adjacent to -ter is stopped for are to be individually stamped and then distributed or sorted, on a horizontally disposed feed way arranged above the case of letter boxes and extending approximately to the front of the ap aratus. The letters are arranged vertica ly on edge with their addressed faces to the front and the stamps in the 'u per right hand colrners. A device is provi ed to p'ressand'feed the letters forwardly in the feed "way against stops at the front end thereof. A printin mechanism is located below the front end of the feed way, and a feeder moves'the letters, one at a time,

prints each letter and moves the same downwardly to an exposed inspection point or station and against ,a stop device which holds the letter exposed to the eye of the operator so that he can read the addressed face thereof andexa'mine the letter and see that it is properly printed and remove any other letter which may have moved down by accident or When the operator has read the address and determined t-hatthe letter is in condition for distribution, he moves the key corresponding to the letter box to which he desires the letter delivered, thereupon a pusher or other letter mover forces said inspected letter down from its temporary restmg place and exposed position and past said stop device and into contact with the vertical main way conveyer which moves the letter rapidly down and discharges the same laterally into any-one of the branch or box passages whereupon the letter is seized by the conveyer of said box passage and carried rearwardly to and deposited in the particular predetermined box. The vertical or main way conveyer shown in the particular example consists of two parallel endless friction belts moving as one elt and continuously driven while the machine is in operation. The branch or box passages are formed by separating the boxes into horizontal separated rows so that the letters move over the open tops of the boxes. The branch or box passage conveyors in this specific example are composed of one or more, usually two, para] el endless belts moving as one belt, and so arranged as to form all the box passage conveyers, and said belts are continuously driven while the machine is in action, and, if desired, the main conveyer belts and the box passage conveyer 12 0 belts are driven by friction one from the. other. Swinging gates or deflectors are pro vided to deflect the letters from the main passage conveyer into any one of the branch passages and from the branch passages into any box. A bank of keysor key board is arg the intermediate ex osed platform, station or point at which eac letinspection, and usually arranged about in front said bank of keys is of and just below said exposed inspection point so that the operator,locatedin front of the'machi ne, can easily read the address of the letter and the characters or indication on any one of the keys almost at the same glance and without turning or moving his head. The letter conveying belts, a'ndthe impression surface and feed wheel on the same shaft therewith, are usually continuously driven, but the initial feeder, the printing roll and its feed wheel and the intermediate pusher or letter mover are normally inactive or disconnected from the driving means. When a key lever is moved, a trip mechanism is at once released which throws the driving means intogear or operative connectlorr with the particular key lever moved to depress the same and by power move the letter gates controlled thereby, also with means which look the remaining key levers against operative movement, and also with means to operate the initial feeder and said pusher a single stroke, and also with means to release the printing roll and permit usually only a single operative movement thereof. The trip mechanism is usually so arranged as to make one complete revolution and thereupon operate devices to automatically break the operative connection with the driving power and automatically release the key lever lock, permit locking of the printing roll against rotation and permit automatic restoration of the key lever and other parts. to their normal inactive positions in readiness for another stroke.

The foregoing brief description of the operation of the specific example is merely for the purpose of making the following description readily understood, and I do not intend to thereby limit my invention to all the features and operations as thus set up.-

Referring more s ecifically to the con-' structions shown in t e accompanying drawings, 1, are the horizontal bottom bars of a strong and frigid vertically disposed frame work carrying the letter boxes and operative and other parts of the apparatus.

2, are the rigid uprights at the ends of the case of boxes, ;and 3, are the rigid horizontal top bars of the frame above the boxes.

4, is the main drive shaft of the machine arranged transversely beneath the case of boxes and suitably mounted in pillars or othersupports rigid with bottom frame'bars 1'. The drive shaft is suitably coupled with' a driving motor, usually by means of belt and pulleys 5, mounted onsaid shaft. However, the motor might be arranged directly under the case of boxes, or otherwise to suit conditions. 1

6, is a drive pulley rigid with one end portion of the drive shaft to receive belt 7 ,for

letter'bed or floor, suitably arranged with respect to the boxes and distributing'mechanism and supported'in any suitable manner, as by brackets or arms 9, rigidly secured to the top frame bars and to said etter bed 8. 1 0, is the follower extending across said letter bed to press the bundle or pile of letters thereon forwardly and uphold the same in the proper 1position. This follower moves longltudinaly of the bed and is provided with a suitable slide moving on a longitudinal guide and means are provided toconstantly press the follower toward the front discharge end of the bed. For instance, I show a weight 11, for this purpose connected with the follower slide by a cord, or any other suitable feeding means can be provided.

The follower is usually inclined u wardly and rearw ardly at its front face, to old the letters in an inclined position as shown in Fig.

8. The front edge of said letter bed is usually beveled downwardly so that the letters can easily move, one at a time, down from the bed past said edge.

If desired, the letter bed can be formed with longitudinal raised ribs on which. the lower edges of the letters rest and slide, and these ribs can project slightly beyond the front edge of the bed proper and be beveled off to form said beveled front edge of the bed, as described. If desired, the beveled faces can be transversely rabbeted or recessed to form shoulders or steps down which the lower edges of the letters slip and which aidin the separation of the letters as the front letter is ressed down by the feeder, by retarding t e letters behind the front letter.

The front vertical frame bars 2, are extended upwardly at both sides of the letter bed and are shown provided with a rigid cross bar 12, see Fig. 8, which extends across the front. of the letter way, about at the top portions of the letters therein, forming a front stop therefor. I usually provide spring finger's 13, secured to said cross bar 12,.and extending downwardly and inclined forwardly with their lower free ends lapping said front beveled edge or edges see Fig. 7, of the letter bed and yieldingly bearing and pressing inwardly against said edge. The front letter of the common pile of mixed letters is pressed forwardly against said springs and assumes letters, behind the one being fed from moving down with said letter. The object is to feeddown' but one letter at a time.

" A reciprocating feeder is shown moving vertically at an angle at the front of. the letter feed way and transversely of the front face of the front letter thereon.

14, is the feed block or head provided with face .of the box case, and at break the shock when the cam toe a series of inwardly and downwardly inclined gripping or needle points. This feed block is rigidly secured to an upwardly extending rod 15, which is, at a point above the letters in the feed Way, adjustably secured .to a block or arm 16, mounted to turn on a cross rod 17, projecting laterally from the upwardly projecting arm 18, of a vertically swinging bell crank or elbow lever fulcrumed at 19, to a bracket 20, rigid with a top bar 3, of the main frame. The short horizontally disposed arm 21, of said elbow lever is pivotally joined to the vertical reciprocating lift rod 22, extending down outside the closed its lower end pivotally joined to the free end of a vertically swinging cam toe or lever 23, at its front-end fulcrumed to a front frame upright and extending therefrom abouthorizontally to be engaged and swung vertically bya striker arm, as hereinafter described, to move the push rod 22, upwardly and rock the elbow lever to raise the feeder to its limit of upward movement. When the striker arm slips past the cam face of said cam toe 23, said toe and push rod are forced down bya retractive spring 24, and the elbow leveris rocked to force down the feeder to perform its feeding stroke and carr the letter downwardly from the letter bed or feed way through the throat formed by spring fingers 13, and the front edge of the bed. In the example shown, the feeder is positively moved on its return stroke by the driving power, while on its feeding stroke it is actuated by the spring 24, hence on its feeding stroke, the feed blockis yieldingly driven and can yield or even stop at any point in its feeding stroke and thus avoid mutilating letters should a letter for an Y reason jam, wedge-or refuse to be moved y the feeder. In other words the feeding-stroke is elastic so that the feeder can adapt its stroke to the resistance of the letter being moved.

'25, is a stop limiting the downward movement of the lift rod 22, and connected )arts. This stop also forms a cushion or bu er to drops from the striker arm. The stop 25, can be formed of a block of rubber mo'unted on the push rod and engaging a stop or plate 26, rigid with the frame.

The rod 15, carrying the feeder block 14,

passes througha transverse slot in the cross.

bar 12, see Fig. 7, which forms a guide thereforan ermits swing of the rod to move the feeder b ock toward and from the front faces of the letters as the block reciprocates.

27, is'a spring secured to the cross bar 12, and bearing against the rod 15, to yieldingly press the feeder block toward the letters.

The printing mechanism is located at and generally below the front edge of the letter ed or discharge throat from the letter Way.

front frame uprights.

toward 28 is -the horizonta impression surfacel shaft arranged transversely beneath the front end of said letter bed and at its ends mounted in said extended ends of the front frame uprights. One end of said. shaft is extended and provided with pulley 29, recei ving and driven by belt 7, to continuously rotate said impression roll shaft. 39, is preferably soft impression roll mounted on said shaft, and 31 3], are milled feed surfaces mounted on said shaft.

The impression surface can be composed of the cylindrical roll 30, as shown in several figures or an endless traveling impression surface 30, can be employed as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 6. This impression surface 30, can consist of a thin flexible endless flat belt passing around and driven by the roll 30, on the impression surface shaft and from thence passing rearwardly above the case of boxes and around a suitable idler. The endless belt constantly travels and presents a fresh surface to each letter, and should ink be deposited on the belt, by any accident, said inked portion of the belt immediately moves rearwardly from the letter path and will become dry before again reaching the letter path. The feed wheels or surfaces 31, 31, are separated by a slot in intervening space about opposite the central 'portions in the lengths of the letters passing down over said roll or rolls mounted on the impression roll shaft.

32, is the printing roll shaft which is normally inactive, and is mounted to rotate in a vertically swinging frame com rising downwardly and forwardly inclined links or arms 33,-at their free ends carrying the printing roll shaft and at their up )er ends secured to a cross' shaft 34, mounted to turn in the upwardly extending portions of the An extended end of said rock shaft 34, is provided with a rigid arm 36, having an ad'ustable stop 35', to limit the movement of t e printing roll shaft toward the impression roll.

37,-is a retractive spring attached to said arm 36, to yieldingly hold the printing roll and to properly cooperate with the impression surface. Also this arm 36, can serve as a handle for swinging the printing roll shaft outwardly when it is desired to change type in the printing roll or for other reasons.

38, is the printing roll, of any suitable and desirable construction,and arranged opposite and to cooperate with the im ression roll. The printing roll can be provided with any suitable printing characters and any desirable arrangement of removable type etc. If desired, the printing roll can have its surface entirely or partially reduced, to avoid contact with the letters, impression roll and the inking roll exceptfor the printing-devices or characters which can be raised, to strike the inking roll and the letters.

amino Before the piles of mixed letters are placed in the letter way or common source, they can, if desired, be first back stamped or postmarked and have the stamps thereof canceled by being run through canceling mainstance each clerk is designated by a par-' ticular number and when 'a elerk goes on duty to operate a distributing apparatus, he inserts type in the printing roll to print his number on each letter passing through the distributing apparatus. The printing apparatus can be timed to print the clerks identifying character at any desired point impression roll shaft.

on each letter. For instance, on Fig. 8, I show the characters printed along one end of the letter, but of course where a clerkidentif ing printing device is employed, any desired kind or arrangement of printing characters can be em loyed to rint at any desired point on eac letter, y im rinting such clerk-identifying mark on eac letter, mistakes etc. can bereadily traced, and the use of the a I I I placed in the bundles of distributed letters can be avoided. t

39, 39, are separated milled feed rolls or surfaces opposite and arranged to cooperate with the corresponding surfaces 31, of the The slots or spaces between the feed rolls of both shafts are arranged preferably in the plane of the path of movement of the feeder.

' The stop 35, is preferably so arranged as to keep the rolls of the printing roll shaft from contact with the rolls of the impression roll shaft, when no letter is interposed, and the tension of the spring 37, is sufficient to hold the rolls of the printing roll shaft against the interposed letter with sufficient pressure to insure proper printing and the necessary grip'on the letter to insure proper feeding.

' are printing roll shaft is designed to rotateonly when a letter is inserted between the printing and impression rolls, and to then make only a complete revolution. A stop mechanism is provided to stop the retation of the printing roll on its completion: of, one revolution and to release or unlock the printing roll forrotation at each feeding stroke of the feeder. The printing roll shaft is hence normally maintained at rest. The printing roll shaft can, if desired, be arranged as an idler to be driven, when released, by friction with a letter interposed between the printing and impression shaft rolls. However, I prefer to drive the printing roll shaft positively by friction usually from the continuously driven impression surface shaft. In Fig. 12, I show one form printed slips now loo se'ly" of driving means for this purpose, comprising friction disk 40, ii id on the impression surface shaft 28. .41, 1s a disk loose on the printing roll shaft and lapping the friction disk 40, and having a lateral friction flange or edge to frictionally engage with the flat face of the disk 40. The disk 41, is rigid with a hub or sleeve loose on the printing roll shaft and rigid with a flange 42, having edge teeth or notches. 43, is an arm rigid withthe printing roll shaft and carrying a spring pin or pawl 44, engaging any one of the notches in flange '42. The friction disk 41, is held to rotate with the printing roll shaft through the medium of said arm, spring pin, flange and hub, and by means of said connections the printing roll shaft and the friction disk can be adjusted axially independently of each other. 45, is an expansive sprin on the printin roll shaft yieldingly hol 'ng the friction flange of the disk 41, to, the friction face of the disk 40, to

maintain the desired friction for properly driving the printing roll shaft. This friction driving gearing is mutilated, usually by forming notch or recess 46 in the flange or lateraledge of the friction disk 41 hence disks 40, 41, will be broken and theprinting roll' shaft will be inactive. It will be observed that when the friction flange of disk 41 is brought into contact with disk 40, the printing roll will complete one revolution and then stop as the recess 46, will then again come opposite disk 40 and the flange will be disengaged therefrom.

Theloeking and releasing mechanism for the printing roll can be formed by a swinging detent, dog or toothed lever 47, at its lower end fulcrumed to the frame and extending upwardly and having a shouldered end, tooth when said recess 46 is opposite friction disk "-40, the friction driving engagement between-- or sto arranged to ride on the circumferentiale ge of the disk 41, and drop into a shouldered locking notch 48, therein to hold the rinting roll shaft against forwarder letter ceding rotation. The notch 48, is so arranged with respect to the recess 46 that when said recess 46 is o posite the disk 40, arid the printing roll sha t is out of operative connection with its driving power, said detcnt 47 will be in the locking notch 48, holding the printing roll shaftagainst forward rotation. It is desirable torelease the detent 47 from its locking position at each feedretrac'tive spring 51 is attac ed to 

